A lab where the students study the density of pennies. They will discover the limitations of measurements and the value of multiple trials.
- Author:
- Robert Ward
Updating search results...
62 Results
Students explore the densities and viscosities of fluids as they create a colorful 'rainbow' using household liquids. While letting the fluids in the rainbow settle, students conduct 'The Great Viscosity Race,' another short experiment that illustrates the difference between viscosity and density. Later, students record the density rainbow with sketches and/or photography.
- Author:
- Malinda Schaefer Zarske
- Cody Taylor
- Jean Hertzberg
- Denise Carlson
- Gala Camacho
- Flow Visualization Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
This activity is a demonstration proving that carbon dioxide is more dense than air which leads to a deeper understanding of the term density.
- Author:
- Hans Albrecht
- Hans Albrecht
Students use two different methods to determine the densities of a variety of materials and objects. The first method involves direct measurement of the volumes of objects that have simple geometric shapes. The second is the water displacement method, used to determine the volumes of irregularly shaped objects. After the densities are determined, students create x-y scatter graphs of mass versus volume, which reveal that objects with densities less than water (floaters) lie above the graph's diagonal (representing the density of water), and those with densities greater than water (sinkers) lie below the diagonal.
- Author:
- Engineering K-PhD Program,
- Mary R. Hebrank (project writer and consultant)
This activity is a guided inquiry on the density of two liquids and salt. Students will then create their own experiment to back their findings.
- Author:
- Angela Lawrence
Students learn that buoyancy is responsible for making boats, hot air balloons and weather balloons float. They calculate whether or not a boat or balloon will float, and calculate the volume needed to make a balloon or boat of a certain mass float. Conduct the first day of the associated activity before conducting this lesson.
- Author:
- Mike Soltys
- TeachEngineering.org
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
- Marissa H. Forbes
Students explore material properties in hands-on and visually evident ways via the Archimedes' principle. First, they design and conduct an experiment to calculate densities of various materials and present their findings to the class. Using this information, they identify an unknown material based on its density. Then, groups explore buoyant forces. They measure displacement needed for various materials to float on water and construct the equation for buoyancy. Using this equation, they calculate the numerical solution for a boat hull using given design parameters.
- Author:
- TeachEngineering.org
- CREAM GK-12 Program, Engineering Education Research Center, College of Engineering and Architecture,
- Andy Wekin
Students are introduced to the important concept of density with a focus is on the more easily understood densities of solids. Students use different methods to determine the densities of solid objects, including water displacement to determine volumes of irregularly-shaped objects. By comparing densities of various solids to the density of water, and by considering the behavior of different solids when placed in water, students conclude that ordinarily, objects with densities greater than water sink, while those with densities less than water float. Then they explore the principle of buoyancy, and through further experimentation arrive at Archimedes' principle that a floating object displaces a mass of water equal to its own mass. Students may be surprised to discover that a floating object displaces more water than a sinking object of the same volume.
- Author:
- Engineering K-PhD Program,
- Mary R. Hebrank (project writer and consultant)
Read the Fine Print
This lesson introduces students to the important concept of density. The focus is on the more easily understood densities of solids, but students can also explore the densities of liquids and gases. Students devise methods to determine the densities of solid objects, including the method of water displacement to determine volumes of irregularly-shaped objects. By comparing densities of various solids to the density of water, and by considering the behavior of different solids when placed in water, students conclude that ordinarily, objects with densities greater than water will sink, while those with densities less than water will float. Density is an important material property for engineers to understand.
- Subject:
- Applied Science
- Engineering
- Physical Science
- Physics
- Material Type:
- Activity/Lab
- Lesson Plan
- Author:
- Engineering K-Ph.D. Program,
- Mary R. Hebrank (project writer and consultant), Duke University
- Date Added:
- 09/18/2014
This is a classroom lab where students will explore the concept of density by investigating how various solids and liquids interact.
- Author:
- Tony Hartmann
Students discover fluid dynamics related to buoyancy through experimentation and optional photography. Using one set of fluids, they make light fluids rise through denser fluids. Using another set, they make dense fluids sink through a lighter fluid. In both cases, they see and record beautiful fluid motion. Activities are also suitable as class demonstrations. The natural beauty of fluid flow opens the door to seeing the beauty of physics in general.
- Author:
- Malinda Schaefer Zarske
- Cody Taylor
- Jean Hertzberg
- Denise Carlson
- Gala Camacho
- TeachEngineering.org
- Flow Visualization Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Students construct a model roadway with congestion and apply their knowledge of level of service (LOS) to assign a grade to the road conditions. The roadway is simply a track outlined with cones or ropes with a few students walking around it to mimic congestion. The remaining students employ both techniques of density and flow to classify the LOS of the track.
- Author:
- Dayna Lee Martinez
- STARS GK-12 Program,
- Javier Fuentes
- Tapas K. Das
- Patricio Rocha
Through a teacher demonstration using water, heat and food coloring, students see how convection moves the energy of the Sun from its core outwards. Students learn about the three different modes of heat transfer (convection, conduction, radiation) and how they are related to the Sun and life on our planet.
- Author:
- Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
- Geoffrey Hill
- Denise W. Carlson
- Jessica Butterfield
- Jessica Todd
Students learn about geotechnical engineers and their use of physical properties, such as soil density, to determine the ability of various soils to offer support to foundations. In an associated activity, students determine the bulk densities of soil samples, and assess their suitability to support foundations.
- Author:
- Sherry L. Wright
- Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Program,
- Marissa H. Forbes
- TeachEngineering.org
Students determine the mass and volume of soil samples and calculate the density of the soils. They use this information to determine the suitability of the soil to support a building foundation.
- Author:
- Sherry L. Wright
- Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Program,
- Marissa H. Forbes
- TeachEngineering.org
The purpose of this task is for students to apply the concepts of mass, volume, and density in a real-world context. There are several ways one might approach the problem, e.g., by estimating the volume of a person and dividing by the volume of a cell.
- Author:
- Illustrative Mathematics
This activity is an interactive demonstration of the concept of density with a guided inquiry component.
- Author:
- Claire Torrey
This activity continues the idea as to why objects sink or float using the mathematical formula density equals mass divided by volume.
- Author:
- Steve Knaus
This activity is an inquiry investigation where students gather data on why the Cartesian diver sinks or floats. They then develop a new question and then conduct a new investigation by changing one variable and repeat the altered experiment and record their conclusions.
- Author:
- Lee Anne Garhofer Ames Elementary School St. Paul, MN 55106
- Lee Anne Garhofer
This activity can be used to teach concepts how different densities of liquids can be layered and/or how the salinity of water affects the movement of ocean water.
- Author:
- Shannon Hammer